Zelensky: Ukraine received a new shipment of missiles for NASAMS systems — thanks the U.S. and Norway

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday evening that Ukraine has received a new shipment of missiles for the NASAMS air defence systems, at a time when the country faces a critical shortage of air-defence ammunition.

The president made the announcement in his nightly address, as The Kyiv Independent reports, describing the shipment as a “very good aid package” for the NASAMS system, which was developed jointly by the United States and Norway. Zelensky publicly thanked both countries for their support.

The announcement comes amid a shortage of interceptors, particularly for Patriot systems — the only weapons that can reliably intercept Russian ballistic missiles — while Russia has intensified air attacks with jet-powered drones, which fly higher and faster than ordinary drones and are much harder to shoot down. According to Reuters, the Ukrainian president said talks are continuing with partners to secure a continuous supply of missiles for Patriot systems, which play a critical role in defending Ukrainian cities.

Zelensky also said Ukraine has already received urgent ammunition deliveries for F-16 fighter jets from Belgium and Spain, among other countries, and that testing is continuing to improve the effectiveness of Ukrainian interceptor drones against Russian jet drones.

On Tuesday alone, according to Reuters, Russia launched more than 100 drones against Ukraine, 29 of them jet-powered, and Ukrainian air defence managed to shoot down 18 of the jet drones — an indicator of the growing challenge these new Russian weapons pose.

NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) was developed by Norway’s Kongsberg and the American Raytheon and uses AMRAAM missiles; it is the same system that protects the airspace around the White House in Washington.